Iran’s Assembly of Experts has called a review of the country’s continued participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty an “unavoidable necessity,” Iranian state television reported, according to The Associated Press. The statement signals pressure for debate, but it is not a formal notice of withdrawal or an announcement that Iran has left the treaty.

The Assembly of Experts is a senior clerical body with constitutional responsibilities that include selecting the supreme leader. Decisions on national security and treaty policy involve Iran’s state leadership and institutions; the public statement does not by itself change the country’s legal status under the NPT.

What withdrawal would involve

Article X of the treaty allows a state to withdraw if it decides that extraordinary events related to the treaty have jeopardised its supreme interests. It requires the state to notify all other parties and the UN Security Council three months in advance, giving a statement of the events it regards as grounds for withdrawal.

Iran’s remarks come amid a dispute over its nuclear programme and international restrictions. The distinction between calls to review withdrawal and an official decision matters: any formal step would trigger a defined diplomatic process and could further intensify tensions with the United States, Israel and European governments.

For now, the available reporting points to a political signal and a debate over options—not a completed withdrawal or an announced government decision.